Jerry Adler's Adult Remembrance of Noel Coward and Jose Ferrer

FRANK RIZZOHartford Courant

Here's one more theater story from Jerry Adler, the longtime stage manager, director and producer, who late in life is now an actor and appearing in the premiere of "I'm Connecticut" at UConn in Storrs.

And it's not one for the kiddies.

It's about Noel Cowaerd and Jose Ferrer when Adler was stage manager of a 1963 musical "The Girl Who Came to Supper" that starred Ferrer:

"It was reputed that the actor was well-endowed, says Adler. "The wardrobe department referred to him as 'Hose Ferrer'and the word got out to Noel. So Noel pleaded with director Joe Layton if he could accompany Joe at the end of one of the shows to come to Jose's dressing room to give notes just so he could maybe catch Jose au natural.

"So Joe came to me and said, 'Can you arrange this?' and I went to Jose and said, 'Noel really wants to see you naked because he's heard about...you.' He said, OK, and we go back stage. Jose had this little sink in the dressing room filled with soapy water and his [member] was in the sink and hanging out. When they came into the room, Noel went berserk.